When news broke that Porsche might discontinue the electric Boxster and Cayman, it didn't take long for rumors to start circulating in Ingolstadt: would Audi do the same with its electric sports car?
Speaking to Motor1, spokesman Daniel Schuster dismissed the rumors as pure speculation, stressing that the Concept C is still on track. Now, the CEO has stepped in to reassure employees involved in the project: the sports car has a bright future ahead of it.
According to an internal letter seen by Donaukurier, Gernot Döllner refuted rumors of a halt to production of the vehicle: “The supply of the platform by Porsche is not in question.” He also emphasized that the joint project to develop a high-performance electric vehicle is taking place “in good cooperation between the Porsche team and the Audi team.”
It's unclear whether this means Porsche is continuing to fully support the electric 718. The project was first announced a little over five years ago. Development was reportedly held up by battery issues, but Zuffenhausen never confirmed the technical issues.
Officially, the new Boxster and Cayman without an internal combustion engine are still set to arrive on the market, provided that new Porsche CEO Michael Leiters does not cancel the plan – a possibility mentioned in a Bloomberg report.
Audi has confirmed that the platform will be developed exclusively for electric vehicles. The Boxster and Cayman are expected to return with petrol engines at the end of the decade. They will not share the architecture with the electric model. The Concept C is expected to arrive next year in a single body style and retain the electric targa roof of the show car.
Audi saw the Concept C as a “TT-2.0” moment when it was introduced: a new design language, a return to high-quality interiors and the reintroduction of some physical controls. Cancelling the car at this stage – especially since it was already heavily advertised – would have further damaged its image after years of falling behind BMW and Mercedes in the premium segment.
